A mixture of snow, ice, rain and strong winds swept across most of the US amid a warning of an intense cyclone. A winter storm, fueled by the impact of a ‘bomb cyclone’, is expected to impact the upper parts of the US.
Heavy snow, blizzards, extreme cold and damaging winds are likely to create hazardous conditions stretching from Montana east to Maine, and Texas north to Pennsylvania, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
US weather bulletin: ‘Bomb cyclone’
The NWS stated in its December 28 release that over the next 48 hours, an intense cyclone will take centre stage. According to NPR, meteorologists warned that after winter weather, an arctic front clashing with warm air could rapidly intensify into a ‘bomb cyclone’ over the Midwest and Great Lakes through Monday.
A ‘bomb cyclone’ or bombogenesis is a rapidly deepening area of low pressure that creates harsh weather conditions, the report added.
“A low-pressure system is rapidly developing over the Mid-Mississippi Valley along an Arctic front as the incoming frigid air from Canada mingles with the anomalous warm airmass that has settled across the Central/Southern US for many days,” it added.
The big storm in the Great Lakes will slowly move into eastern Canada later on Monday. “But the huge circulation of the system will continue to spread very strong and gusty winds into the entire eastern US with snow lingering especially downwind from the lower Great Lakes,” it added.
“Rain showers should taper off or end as light snow across Maine by Tuesday morning behind the cold front,” the NWS said.
The impact could range from heavy snow and blizzard conditions across the upper Midwest to the Great Lakes, to freezing rain across New England, thunderstorms through the eastern US and the South, as well as widespread blustery winds to locally damaging winds in these areas.
Blizzard, snowfall, rains expected
The NWS stated in its weather bulletin that as the low-pressure system accelerates northeastward this week, heavy snow and blizzard conditions will continue across the upper Midwest and the Great Lakes through Monday.
“By Monday morning, a mix of snow sleet and freezing rain will likely impact northern New England before warmer air changes the wintry mix to all rain later on Monday,” the NWS said.
It added that across the central Great Lakes, wind-swept rain and embedded thunderstorms are forecast to turn into a blizzard by early on Monday with blowing snow.
